The Gardens on Spring Creek

  Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera x bridgesii What's Blooming:  Holiday Cacti by Bryan Fischer, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek   Holiday cacti have intrigued me since I was a kid. Particularly, I’ve been fascinated to see how common they are in the homes of family and friends, yet how poorly understood they are, both in identification and in care requirements. This post seeks to demystify these ubiquitous, durable and exceptionally long-lived houseplants, for our benefit and theirs alike. While they are true cacti (family Cactaceae), the plants we call holiday cacti today did not originate in the desert as many would expect.   Rather, they grow as epiphytes in tropical and subtropical South American rainforests, meaning they live on the bark of a host tree.   They differ from parasites in that they glean no nutrition from the trees upon which they grow.   As a result of their origins, all holiday cacti perform well in homes with indirect light, temperatures above f